Optical coupling member and optical connector using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical coupling member and an optical connector using the optical coupling member, capable of improving the efficiency of an assembly work of the optical connector and positioning optical fibers in the optical connector with high accuracy. The optical coupling member ( 10 ) has: holding members ( 11 ) for being able to hold optical fibers ( 21 ) that are inserted from insertion holes ( 11 a ) formed at end parts; lenses housed in housing parts formed at opposite end parts of the holding members ( 11 ); and a joining member ( 13 ) for connecting the holding members ( 11 ) as aligned in parallel to each other, the joining member being formed of an elastic material.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical coupling member comprising:
 a plurality of holding members that respectively hold optical fibers that are inserted into insertion holes formed at end parts of the respective holding members; 
 lenses housed in housing parts formed at opposite end parts of the respective holding members; and 
 a joining member for connecting the plurality of holding members as aligned, the joining member being formed of an elastic material. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical coupling member according to  claim 1 , wherein the joining member covers the holding members around evenly. 
     
     
       3. The optical coupling member according to  claim 1 , wherein the joining member covers a part of each of the holding members in a radial direction. 
     
     
       4. An optical coupling member comprising:
 holding members for being able to hold optical fibers that are inserted from insertion holes formed at end parts of the holding members; 
 lenses housed in housing parts formed at opposite end parts of the holding members; and 
 a joining member for connecting the holding members as aligned, the joining member being formed of an elastic material, 
 wherein the joining member has a groove part formed between every adjacent two of the holding members. 
 
     
     
       5. An optical coupling member comprising:
 a plurality of holding members that respectively hold optical fibers that are inserted into insertion holes formed at end parts of the respective holding members; 
 lenses housed in housing parts formed at opposite end parts of the respective holding members; and 
 a joining member for connecting the plurality of holding members as aligned, the joining member being formed of an elastic material, 
 wherein the joining member has a through hole formed between every adjacent two of the holding members. 
 
     
     
       6. The optical coupling member according to  claim 5 , wherein the through hole comprises a plurality of through holes arranged in parallel to the holding members. 
     
     
       7. An optical coupling member comprising:
 a plurality of holding members that respectively hold optical fibers that are inserted into insertion holes formed at end parts of the respective holding members; 
 lenses housed in housing parts formed at opposite end parts of the respective holding members; and 
 a joining member for connecting the plurality of holding members as aligned, the joining member being formed of an elastic material, 
 wherein the joining member has an opening which makes parts of the holding members exposed when seen from above. 
 
     
     
       8. The optical coupling member according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical fibers and the lenses are each positioned by being in contact with a circumferential wall surface formed by a recess that is provided in a part of an outer circumferential surface of each of the holding members. 
     
     
       9. An optical connector for connecting the optical coupling member according to  claim 1 .